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ALRIGHT. First off, I’d like to apologize for the lack of art lately. It’s been kinda crazy. Obviously I can’t post commercial commissions, and obviously I can’t post RainbowTentacle work completed, even if in the end it will be pay-what-you-want! Things have just been hectic, and I feel kinda dissapointing to you all… I’m trying to work my schedule around a bit to have more time be able to take on some personal commissions, or at least Cteno-related things!
However, I’ve got some really exciting news, which is that I’ll be doing a One-Shot comic for [Slipshine] this Summer! While this is kinda awesome in itself, it’s very much like… very super awesome for me. Almost dream-come-true awesome.
Many many years ago, before the gate disaster, and before Transformers was in theaters, and before tumblr existed even… There was this awesome website called Slipshine, run by the author of my favorite webcomic. Which was/is [Girly]. Slipshine had a bunch of porn comics on it. Which was not just cool because it was porn comics, but it was porn comics by a lot of real people. Like, people I followed on DeviantArt. People who were nice and relateable, and who were perfectly willing to have a stupid fun time drawing naked people. Maybe tell a few jokes sometimes. It was FUN stuff that they couldn’t (or wouldn’t) post elsewhere, and couldn’t sell without help.
And it’s the only subscription service I’ve ever paid for. Because I wasn’t getting asked by the site itself to support the site itself, I was being asked by artists who featured there to support the site that was supporting them. I could find porn anywhere, but honestly, it was and is one of VERY few sites that is run by artists for artists and places the art, the artist, AND the porn at the same value. And watching [NeoLucky] (who i just realized probably had a tumblr I should follow) and [JJ] and reading Dragonfest and Anathema, amongst lots of other comics, was really inspiring to me. Not just in a creative way, but in a business model way. Like, here were people who are having fun, working hard, and making income at the same time. They’re promoting art, sex, and dumb fun at the same time and being FRIENDLY about it to all artists and the artists’ own supporters.
I wouldn’t sign up on something like HUGEBUBBLETITTYASS.COM, or even HentaiKey. That presents the porn over the art. Which is FINE! But you can find strict porn for free. You can find porn of copyrighted characters for free. It’s also a lot easier to do and make, in a lot of ways. I felt, and FEEL, that Slipshine made a much more positive offer to artists and users; One that portrays the adult industry in in a much different way, but more importantly, supported and catered to the individual artist. The artist gets to make income doing what they love, using a network and service they couldn’t afford on their own, and the site gets to share in the artists growth. It’s a win win.
ANYWAY, it was very nice blah blah. It was inspiring enough that, for my capstone college project, I invented a fake business that could follow a similar model, called AwfulSlugMonster.com (which was easier to say than Ctenophorae.com, my first idea). I named the imaginary owner of the company ‘Slugbox.’ The project was pretty encompassing, and required that I have fake DA accounts and Facebooks and stuff to track my imaginary artist’s progress over the year. I used my meager art skills as best I could and basically played make believe. They say “fake it ‘til you make it” and I’m a believer in that, but I never planned to make it in anyway. So I was just faking.
I recorded and reported all my traffic and what little income I earned as this imaginary artist. Commissions are important to document, right? And I’ll definitely need a red-head catgirl mascot, right? It was interesting for me AND my professors, who had never had a student publically attempt an adult-oriented site or business. I learned a shit ton, but the most important thing I learned was to promote the ART aspect as OFTEN as I promoted the PORN aspect.
I got a good grade on the project, but my supposedly versatile business/science degree didn’t really net me any jobs worth pursuing as a career… Gooooo economy. In a last ditch effort to make some side income, I tried to make a few bucks from my leftover slugbox project. I had to fix up the accounts a lot, but there were a few hundred followers to work with. I decided to just keep trying to promote myself like I would if I was trying to get Slipshine to notice me, or was an already an artist for them. I tried to be honest, have fun, make money, and draw sex. Actually, I think I’d say those are the four key goals for whatever it is I do here.
Long story short, years later I
finally got to use Ctenophorae.com in a giant FUCK YOU to my professor saying that no one would ever remember that name but I SWORE that being unable to pronounce the word would be a GOOD thingam going to be able to do a comic on the site. And that is fucking awesome. And it makes me feel pretty good. Like pretty damn good.Sooooo yeah. I’m excited. There’s some history for you, [and you should all probably go check out Slipshine], because I guarantee you that you’re already following at least some of the artists on the site elsewhere ANYWAY, and the site is a great way to support all those artists.
Still thinkin’ ‘bout what to make a comic about… Like, I’ve got lots fo free reign on this thing…Hot elves? Hot alien elves? Hot lesbian alien elves? That’s what I’m leaning towards right now. Something from that angle. But if you’ve got ideas, I’m open to suggestions. I’ve got some other things to work on in the meantime!
Neat!
Also weird people just came into my apartment…
(ღ˘⌣˘ღ)
We are looking forward to seeing Slug’s story for Slipshine!
